Philosophy Courses
Philosophy 101G The Art of Wondering Prof. Lori Keleher (Section M01)
This course offers an introduction to philosophy through the critical engagement of some of the most central questions in philosophy including: What – if anything – can we know? Are we simply material beings, or do we have immaterial souls? Does God exist? What does it mean to behave morally? Grades will be based on exams and quizzes designed to reflect an understanding of course methods and materials.
Philosophy 101G The Art of Wondering Prof. Jennifer Noonan (Sections M02, M03)
An introduction to the aims, methods, and problems of philosophy. The course will cover a broad range of questions of enduring philosophical interest including the following: What do we really know? Are minds just brains? Does God exist? Are moral judgments purely subjective? Grades will be based on performance on three exams and five quizzes.
Philosophy 101G The Art of Wondering Prof. Mark Walker (Section M04)
ON-LINE COURSE
This course is a “sampler platter” of philosophy: a rapid survey of some of the great philosophical questions. The following are some of the questions we may consider:
· Does life have meaning?
· What happens to us when we die?
· How do we know that we are not living in “The Matrix”?
· How should I live my life?
· Do we have a duty to help those starving in the two-thirds world?
· Does God exist?
· Is it wrong to eat animals?
· What can science tell us about our world and our place in it?
Grades will be based on exams, quizzes and assignments.
Philosophy 101G The Art of Wondering Tanya Whitehouse (Section M05)
This course is an issues-based approach to major areas of philosophical study and reasoning. The textbook provides an overview of these areas, and we will also read a selection of historically important and influential philosophical literature as well as current philosophy and media. We will draw on both historical and contemporary lines of thought in an attempt to reflect philosophically on our own. Some themes raised toward the beginning of the course will recur as we look at the ways in which philosophy affects many aspects of our lives. Questions examined throughout the course include the following: What is philosophy? Where does it occur? How are its different areas related? In what ways are philosophical arguments expressed? What assumptions or presuppositions underlie our thinking about philosophical issues? What has changed, and what has stayed the same, throughout the history of philosophical thought? For what are we responsible? What is true, what can we perceive, and what can we know? And how should we live? Requirements: in-class exams (including essay, short-answer, and multiple-choice questions), regular attendance, and practice exercises.
Philosophy 201G Introduction to Philosophy Prof. Jean-Paul Vessel (Section M01)
This course provides an introduction to philosophy by way of a discussion of three central philosophical problems—the problem of free will and determinism, the "mind-body" problem (including puzzles about personal identity), and the problem of the existence and nature of God. In each case, the focus is on careful formulation of doctrines and arguments. The goals are (i) to understand the doctrines and arguments; (ii) to develop the ability to evaluate the doctrines and arguments; and (iii) to begin to develop the ability to extract well-formulated, interesting arguments from philosophical texts. Readings from Plato, Aristotle, Anselm, Aquinas, Descartes, Leibniz, Hume, and contemporary philosophers. Requirements: exams, quizzes, and mini-quizzes.
Philosophy 211G Informal Logic Prof. Jennifer Noonan (Section M01)
The purpose of this course is to hone students’ critical thinking skills. These skills have wide application. They should help students in their other course work as well as in practically any profession they may choose. The course will expose students to claims and arguments from a wide range of sources including advertising, politics, popular media, science and pseudoscience in order to identify errors in reasoning, misleading phraseology and effective argument strategies. The textbook for the course will be Crimes Against Logic by Jamie Whyte.
Philosophy 211G Informal Logic Prof. Mark Walker (Section M02)
ON-LINE COURSE
Arguments are important because they offer us reasons to believe a conclusion. Arguments are everywhere: in advertising, newspaper editorials, political rallies, course textbooks, at the pub, etc. Clearly there are good arguments and bad arguments. But which arguments should we accept and which should we reject? This course will help answer this question by developing your skill for detecting good and bad arguments. This is a very useful skill to have, not only for your academic career, but also for life outside the “ivory tower”. Most of us have had the experience of hearing an argument that “feels wrong”, but we cannot put our finger on why it is wrong. This course will provide you with some conceptual tools to logically defend against bad arguments, and help you construct good arguments.
Required Text: Thinking Clearly, Jill LeBlanc (W.W. Norton, 1998)
Philosophy 223G Ethics Prof. William Kallfelz (Section M01)
The philosophical explication of morality. Significant ethical systems developed in the history of Western thought.
Philosophy 312 Formal Logic Tanya Whitehouse (Section M01)
This course emphasizes modern formal logic. We will begin by examining logic as the science of arguments, and we will develop skills we can use to recognize arguments and their attributes, including some ways they are constructed and the different types of reasoning on which they depend. We will then learn how to translate language into symbolic form and will study the truth functions of five logical operators. This symbolic language will enable us to complete various logical exercises, primarily in propositional logic. We will examine the logical properties of statements and arguments by constructing truth-tables and truth-trees; we will complete logical proofs using natural deduction; and we will apply these skills, supplementing them with additional translation techniques, in predicate logic. Requirements: in-class exams, regular attendance, and practice exercises.
Philosophy 323V Engineering Ethics Prof. Jean-Paul Vessel (Section M01)
After a brief introduction to logic and ethical theory, students will gain familiarity with many of the most controversial philosophical arguments relevant to contemporary engineering. Topics to be studied include: the challenges of acting responsibly in engineering and scientific practices, how to balance profit and the risk of public harm, honesty in research, legal vs. moral responsibility, and environmental concerns. Our focus will be on (i) careful study of the relevant texts and (ii) clear and precise formulation and evaluation of the most important principles and arguments. Requirements: exams, a term paper, a short presentation, and a series of quizzes.
Philosophy 330 Ethics and Biomedical Research Prof. Danny Scoccia (Section M01)
This course explores some ethical issues raised by biological and biomedical research. Topics include: possible abuses of genetic engineering, cloning, and genetically modified foods; embryonic stem cell research and the moral status of human embryos; experimentation on humans, esp. the requirements of informed consent and the ethical constraints on experimenting on humans
incapable of giving informed consent; animal experimentation and the moral status of animals; honesty in research and conflicts of interest; and intellectual property. Instructional format is lecture-based. Course requirements will probably include two essays
roughly 2-3 pages each, one longer 5-7 page essay, a final exam, and an oral presentation on some topic to the class.
Philosophy 331 Philosophy of Religion Prof. Jennifer Noonan (Section M01)
This course will address several issues relating to God, faith and religion. We will look at various conceptions of God, discuss some of the most influential arguments for the existence of God, consider pragmatic reasons for belief and explore the questions posed by religious diversity, among other things. The textbook for the course will be A Thinker’s Guide to the Philosophy of Religion by Stairs and Bernard, which will be supplemented with readings from primary sources.
Philosophy 341 Ancient Philosophy Prof. Lori Keleher (Section M01)
This course explores the nature and development of Greek philosophical thought from its beginnings in the 6th century BCE down to the end of the classical period. Many of the Presocratic philosophers, Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle will be studied. The goal of the course is to become familiar with the main features of ancient Greek thought and its influence on later centuries, including the present. Grades will reflect in class exams, writing assignments, and course presence.
Philosophy 351 Philosophy of Science Prof. William Kallfelz (Section M01)
Philosophical examination of the methodology of science. The logical, metaphysical, epistemological, and ethical
critique of science and its impact on human affairs.
Philosophy 373 Ethical Theory Prof. Jean-Paul Vessel (Section M01)
In the first half of this course we will study some of the most important theories in the normative ethics of behavior. Among these will be some theological conceptions of moral rightness, various forms of consequentialism, Kantianism, some social-contract theory, and perhaps a brief investigation of the virtue-vice theorist’s account of moral rightness. In each case, one focus will be on clear and accurate formulation of the theory. Another focus will be on understanding and evaluating classical objections to the theories. The second half of the course will be devoted to some of the most important theories in axiology (and, if time permits, we might even get to some theories in metaethics). We will study hedonism, eudaimonism, and various forms of axiological pluralism. If time permits, we will study some combination of the following: naturalism, non-naturalism, the open question argument, emotivism, prescriptivism, the Frege-Geach problem, the error theory, expressivism, projectivism, and “new wave” naturalism. Readings from Plato, Aristotle, Epicurus, Hobbes, Bentham, Mill, Kant, Ross, Moore, Ayer, Hare, Mackie, Gibbard, Blackburn, and others. Requirements: in-class essay exams, a term paper, a short presentation, and a series of quizzes.
Philosophy 376 Philosophy of Law Prof. Danny Scoccia (Section M01)
This course will examine a number of philosophical issues that are raised by legal systems in general, and our legal and constitutional system in particular, including:
- What is a law? Is it, as legal positivists contend, merely a general command issued by a “sovereign” and backed by the threat of punishment for noncompliance, or does it necessarily have a moral component or function, as natural law theorists have held?
- What is the justification for punishing criminals? Deterrence? Retribution? Should the death penalty be abolished, and if so, why? Does it violate the Eighth Amendment ban on “cruel and unusual” punishment?
- Is it possible sharply to distinguish what judges do from what legislators do, or does judging often necessarily include some element of legislating?
- How should the Supreme Court interpret vague and open ended language in the Constitution (such as its prohibition of “unreasonable search and seizure”)? In accordance with the intentions of its framers? In light of moral principles that they see as implicit in the Constitution?
- Is there a constitutional right to “privacy”? Does the right extend to abortion and homosexuality?
- Does the “equal protection” clause of the 14th Amendment forbid “affirmative action”?
The course requirements will include at least one take-home midterm, a six page essay, and an in-class final exam. If the class is small enough, students may be required to give an oral class presentation.